A Metairie man has been convicted of charges he dragged a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office detective from his truck while fleeing a drug bust, causing the officer to break his collarbone.

JPSOChristopher Jones

Christopher Jones, 22, also known as Larry Jones, was convicted by a jury Wednesday night of battery on a police officer involving an injury, hit-and-run driving with an injury and possession of marijuana. However, the jury acquitted him of a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Assistant District Attorney Scott Schlegel, who prosecuted with Jody Fortunato, argued Jones was guilty of all counts. Jones could receive 25 years in prison. Judge Hans Liljeberg of the 24th Judicial District will sentence Jones on Monday, but Jones' public defender Donald Soignet will argue for a new trial.

Jones' Nissan pick-up was parked at a Jefferson Highway gas station on Sept. 20, 2009, when several Jefferson Parish narcotics agents approached him after observing what they thought was a drug transaction, according to testimony.

Detective Donald Clogher testified he approached the truck's passenger side after a fellow officer, Sgt. Shane Kline, said he saw marijuana in the passenger's lap. The officers were in plain clothes but wore their badges on their belts and announced they were police, Clogher testified.

Clogher testified that when he opened the door, he saw the passenger, Darius Williams, reach for a gun that was tucked between the seats. He immediately lunged for Williams' arm, at which point he heard Jones "yelling at (Williams) to get me out of there," Clogher testified.

Jones accelerated, with Clogher's torso atop Williams' in the passenger seat, his legs dangling out the moving truck, according to the surveillance video the jury saw. As Jones turned the truck toward the lot's exit onto Jefferson Highway, Clogher's body was flung onto the concrete as other officers ran behind, according to the video.

Williams, 23, pleaded guilty Jan. 25 to battery on a police officer, being a convicted felon with a firearm, third-offense possession of marijuana and resisting police by violence. He received a 15-year sentence.

Wearing prison garb and shackled at the feet and wrists, Williams appeared before Liljeberg Wednesday to answer whether he would testify against Jones. He refused to do so.

"I don't got nothing to say about it," Williams told Liljeberg, who in turn found him in contempt of court and sentenced him to six months in jail, a punishment that starts after he completes his prison sentence.

Jones already is serving a two-year sentence for his guilty plea last year to an obscenity charge. He was charged last week with battery on a correctional officer, for an alleged incident in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.

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Paul Purpura can be reached at ppurpura@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3791.